Easter weekend, for me, included some much desired time in the yard and garden. I was able to clear away leaves and debris from the long winter, enjoy the gorgeous weather, and day dream. My day dreaming brought me back to this time last spring when I was carefully awaiting the arrival of leaves and plants, excited to see what plants popped up in my yard. While this year the sentiments are the same, seeing what pops up from the ground is a very different experience.

You see, we bought our house in the summer of 2012 and then got married that fall. With all of the wedding planning/prepping/making (there was lot of making!), there was little time to care about the haphazard landscaping that the contractor had thrown into the ground before we closed on the house. So when spring came, I really had no idea what was under all of that snow and dirt!

This year is different, though, because not only do I know, but I am excitingly anticipating each and every plant's arrival. I know where the tulips should be emerging and what the tiny little leaves of the Sweet Woodruff look like. I know where the oregano is and the thyme. I know which ones are Stella Lilies and which are Siberian Iris. I know, because I planted each one of them.

However, as I pulled away the leaves on Saturday, I found that there were some things that I didn't know, or at least didn't realize. I didn't realize that my Sweet Woodruff would come back two to three times the size! I knew it was a ground cover, but I didn't expect that much growth this year. I was more than thrilled to see that!

I didn't know that my Tiger Lilies would shoot up multiple stocks where just one used to just be! How fun!!

I didn't know that my peonies would have such a unique sea creature-like look as they emerged from the ground!

And as I noticed all of these things, I realized that this is one of the things that I love most about gardening. I love the hard work, the planning, the waiting, but I also really love the unknown. Not knowing what things will look like in the spring. Not knowing if everything will make it through the harsh winter. Not knowing when the flowers will bloom or stop blooming. It's the not knowing that makes it exciting. It's the unknown that reminds me that I can plant and water and tend, but at the end of the day, it's really out of my control. And I kind of like that.

It reminds me that life can't be controlled. That's the beauty of it.